Disordered awareness of memory loss is a striking symptom displayed by a subset of patients with early Alzheimer's disease (AD). This metacognitive disturbance threatens patient safety and poses significant challenges for clinicians and caregivers, yet virtually nothing is known regarding its etiology, nature, clinical correlates, neuroanatomic substrates, or prognostic relevance. The proposed study aims to break ground in the study of metacognition in AD by implementing a rigorous methodological framework that will objectively measure specific memory monitoring abilities across patients with a range of awareness levels. Carefully manipulating the experimental task to assess online error recognition and implicit learning will shed light on the disrupted mechanisms that give rise to disordered awareness of memory loss in AD. The proposed study will also examine the neuroanatomic context in which disordered awareness occurs by evaluating metacognitive variables in relation to the integrity of specific areas of the brain previously linked with aspects of self-awareness. Structural and functional imaging modalities will be applied to evaluate this issue. Finally, the proposed study will bridge the gap between cognitive assesment and clinical utility by examining the manner in which deficits in metamemory relate to decision making capacity and quality of life, two critical issues in the everyday lives of persons with Alzheimer's disease. Future neuroimaging, cognitive and metacognitive evaluations will be done in the context of a community based, longitudinal study. Such a framework will facilitate study of metacognitive change in individuals through the course of normal cognition, memory decline, and dementia diagnosis, bearing particular light on awareness of deficit in the earliest stages of memory loss, before patients present to the clinic. Results may have significant implications for the diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a condition which is believed to herald the onset of AD, but is defined in part by subjective memory complaint. Results may also inform the assessment of capacity to provide informed consent for research participation in persons with AD. To the extent that disordered awareness is associated with a particular neuroanatomic profile, and disordered awareness reduces decision making capacity, research programs may systematically exclude a clinical subtype, of AD. The proposed study serves as a spring board for studying these and other clinically relevant issues.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
5K23AG032899-04
Application #
8115827
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAG1-ZIJ-4 (M1))
Program Officer
Silverberg, Nina B
Project Start
2008-08-15
Project End
2013-07-31
Budget Start
2011-08-01
Budget End
2012-07-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$100,389
Indirect Cost
Name
Columbia University (N.Y.)
Department
Neurology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
621889815
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10032
Bertrand, Elodie; Azar, Martina; Rizvi, Batool et al. (2018) Cortical thickness and metacognition in cognitively diverse older adults. Neuropsychology 32:700-710
Chapman, Silvia; Colvin, Leigh E; Vuorre, Matti et al. (2018) Cross domain self-monitoring in anosognosia for memory loss in Alzheimer's disease. Cortex 101:221-233
Tandetnik, Caroline; Farrell, Meagan T; Cary, Mark S et al. (2015) Ascertaining Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Comparison of Approaches and Evidence for Using an Age-Anchored Reference Group. J Alzheimers Dis 48 Suppl 1:S43-55
Cines, Sarah; Farrell, Meagan; Steffener, Jason et al. (2015) Examining the Pathways Between Self-Awareness and Well-Being in Mild to Moderate Alzheimer Disease. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 23:1297-1306
Sunderaraman, Preeti; Sokolov, Elisaveta; Cines, Sarah et al. (2015) Untimed Design Fluency in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease: Psychometrics and Normative Data. Appl Neuropsychol Adult 22:363-72
Cosentino, Stephanie; Brickman, Adam M; Griffith, Erica et al. (2015) The right insula contributes to memory awareness in cognitively diverse older adults. Neuropsychologia 75:163-9
Shaked, Danielle; Farrell, Meagan; Huey, Edward et al. (2014) Cognitive correlates of metamemory in Alzheimer's disease. Neuropsychology 28:695-705
Cosentino, Stephanie; Zahodne, Laura B; Brandt, Jason et al. (2014) Social cognition in Alzheimer's disease: a separate construct contributing to dependence. Alzheimers Dement 10:818-26
Cosentino, Stephanie; Schupf, Nicole; Christensen, Kaare et al. (2013) Reduced prevalence of cognitive impairment in families with exceptional longevity. JAMA Neurol 70:867-74
Sunderaraman, Preeti; Blumen, Helena M; DeMatteo, David et al. (2013) Task demand influences relationships among sex, clustering strategy, and recall: 16-word versus 9-word list learning tests. Cogn Behav Neurol 26:78-84

Showing the most recent 10 out of 21 publications